The World Ends With You: The First Week
by the97thBlu-Jay
Summary: A straight up conversion of the video game to written story form. Neku wakes up in the middle of a crowded city square and finds a timer burned in his hand that's counting down. With the help of a girl named Shiki, he must undergo the mysterious and brutal Reapers' Game in order to uncover the hidden truth of the bustling town of Shibuya.
1. Prologue

_Hey guys. So I thought I would try something new, something I planned a long time ago but never really touched on. One of my favorite video games of all time is The World Ends with You. So a couple years ago, I had the idea to pretty much convert the entire game into a book/story format because there are some people out there that don't play video games, but love to read. In my opinion this game has a fantastic storyline and deserves to be shared with a lot of people. So that's basically what this new story of mine is: my take on what TWEWY would be as a book. Be aware that there are some parts that I've added just to add clarity and coherence to the story for the sake of it becoming a book. For example, this entire prologue section doesn't even exist in the actual game. With all that said, I do hope you enjoy this new segment. This prologue isn't too long so it shouldn't take up too much of your time. I made this years ago and it might not be good by any means, so feel free to be brutally honest as always. Have a great day!_

 **Prologue**

He's the one. That boy is my choice as proxy. He'll provide some entertainment.

Oh, forgive me, I didn't see you there. I guess I should be the one to tell you. So, welcome to Shibuya. For those of you who don't know, Shibuya is the huge shopping district in Tokyo, Japan. It's so large; some consider it to be its own city. For the sake of you Americans, I'll try to stick to English. Shibuya is a wonderful place to live if you like good ramen and stylish citizens. But this place is full of evil as well.

How do I know so much? Why, because I own Shibuya, of course. I'll keep my name a secret for now. You can just call me The Composer. Even though I lead this place, I absolutely hate it here. It's nothing but self-righteousness, greed, and death under a glamorous veil of neon lights.

Soon, a special event will occur. The stakes are the rights to choose whether Shibuya will stay, or be utterly destroyed.

My two top underlings, The Conductor and The Producer, will help me organize this event. The Conductor rules over none other than the beings of darkness from the underworld, the Reapers. I would not go so far as to call The Conductor the devil, for I like to keep that title for myself. The Reapers are the "bad guys" in this game, but they also have to follow the rules.

Now, The Producer is the leader of the Guardians. Guardians are the "peacekeepers", which means they make sure contestants as well as Reapers follow the rules. The Producer has made quite an impact on young people as of late. Despite his laid-back attitude, he packs some serious power.

Now, back to my first matter. I am currently standing on top of the famous 104 (Ten-Four) building. I'm overlooking the crowded Scramble Crossing. I have spotted a boy in whom I have chosen as my representative in the upcoming

game. He is smarting off to a passerby who got in his way.

"Outta my face! You're blocking my view!"

He certainly has a way with words doesn't he? The passerby retaliates and the boy replies:

"Shut up! Stop talking. Just go the hell away."

He then places on his headphones to block out the world and walks away. I can show you his thoughts if you'd like.

" _All the world needs is me. I got my values. So you can keep yours, all right? I don't get people. Never have, never will_."

I have chosen him because of this very attitude. He shares my feelings for this wretched city. Making him the perfect proxy for me. I apologize, but I must go. I have an appointment in a dark alley. So goodbye, for now.

You will be hearing from me very soon.

Welcome to Shibuya.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Beginnings**

Neku awoke to the sounds of cars and crowded voices. His bed felt strangely rougher and more uncomfortable than usual. He opened his eyes to find that he was in the middle of a crowded square dressed in his favorite clothes: a black and indigo tank-top with a turtle-neck, white shorts, white and purple sneakers, and, of course, his headphones and mp3 player.

He rose to his feet and looked around.

 _How in the world did I get here?_ Neku thought. When he placed his hands in his pockets, he found something small and smooth. He pulled it out to find a circular, black pin with a skull design on it. He had collected these pins when he was little, but he had never seen this one before. He flipped it in the air and caught it in his palm.

Then, as soon as the pin hit his hand, Neku's senses sharpened and an odd noise seemed to flood in from his headphone. The sound grew louder and louder until he dropped the pin. When the pin left his hand, the noise left and Neku relaxed. He kicked the pin away.

 _Don't know what you are, but I don't need you,_ he thought. He took a few steps, then, suddenly, Neku's pocket felt heavier all of a sudden. He reached into his pocket to find the pin had returned somehow.

"Don't wanna leave, huh?" he asked aloud. "Fine, but I know not to play heads-or-tails with you. The question is, where did you come from? And what was that awful sound?"

Slowly, Neku barely tapped the pin with his index finger. The noise returned, though not as intense this time. The sound made out to be a manifestation of voices. A young girl walked by and a new sound came into range as Neku looked at her.

" _Oh, I wonder if that cute, new kid will ask me to the dance. I know he's crazy about me, so why is he hesitating?_ " the new voice rang.

Neku came to a stunning conclusion.

"So that's what it is," he stated. "This pin lets me hear peoples' thoughts. What the heck IS this pin?"

A cell phone rang, gaining Neku's attention. He found his phone in his other pocket. He dug it out to find a text message on it. He read it aloud: " _Reach 104. You have sixty minutes. Fail, and face erasure. –The Reapers_."

"Oh, that's cute," Neku said, sarcastically. "See ya, spam. Deleted."

As soon as the message was destroyed, the phone beeped again. The words had reappeared.

"Still there… It's like the junk mail from hell!"

Then, a sharp pain shot up Neku's right arm. Something compelled him to look up at a billboard of a skyscraper. An ominous sentence appeared in red, evil looking letters.

 _You have 7 days._

And on his right hand was a series of numbers that were counting down.

Strange, red symbols were floating around the dark words on the skyscraper. Then, with a look of horror, Neku watched as the symbols materialized, and became frog-like creatures. They resembled frogs except that the hind legs looked oddly two-dimensional and deformed. One of the creatures leaped and clawed at Neku.

"Ow! What the… They attacked me! What do they want from me?" he stuttered in fear.

Neku would avoid and dodge, but the monsters kept coming at him. He looked around to see if anyone would help, but they strolled by as if he was invisible.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Everybody stop ignoring me! Somebody help me!"

One of the frog's claws gashed his shoulder.

"Crap! I gotta run for now!"

As he turned to run, Neku realized his favorite song, "Twister," was playing in his headphones. He let the beats and rhythm lead him to a way out. Neku ran through the square and into an alley. He ducked behind a corner and watched as the creatures hopped past.

. . . . . .

Koki sighed as he lazily watched his partner, Uzuki, pace back and forth. He had finished his lollipop and had already started unwrapping another. His form of stress relief, he called it. And with a partner like Uzuki, he needed it.

"Man, here we go again," he complained.

"Stop whining," Uzuki ordered. "We haven't had work in, like, forever."

That was the thing with her. She has always wanted to get all the jobs she could so she would get promoted. Koki would rather keep his position. It had little work and the less effort the better.

"Exactly," he responded. "It feels like the Monday after vacation."

"You'd prefer a permanent vacation?" Uzuki asked. "Day 1 has the most Players. Now's the time to rack up points and how else are you gonna make up for last month?"

"Aight, aight…," he said, giving in. "One week won't kill me. Probably." Then a thought occurred to him. "Hey, how 'bout we play a game."

"A gaaaame?" Uzuki said, suspiciously.

"Yeah, y'know, so it doesn't feel like so much work. C'mon, you'll love it."

Uzuki rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah, because you know me so well. Fine. What's the game?"

"I was thinking 'bout Reaper Sport 3, Player Hunt. Sound good? Let's see who bags the most Players during today's mission."

"Are you kidding?" Uzuki laughed.

"You don't like it?"

"But I'm gonna crush you anyway! There's no contest!"

Koki folded his arms. "Oh, zing! Now I actually have to try. You know the rules. Loser buys winner a bowl of hot ramen."

. . . . . .

Exhausted from running, Neku had finally evaded the frogs. He paused for a moment to catch his breath.

"Should be… safe here," he huffed.

As if they heard him, more of the deformed creatures materialized around Neku. He stepped back, tired and frightened.

"Just go away! I didn't do anything to you!"

But the frogs weren't after him. Neku realized that in this new area, some other people could see the monsters. They screamed and turned to run. The frogs returned to their symbol form and passed over the people. As they did, each person would vanish into thin air, leaving no traces they were ever there in the first place.

Neku had begun to lose hope. He felt the frogs closing in around him. He waited for the end when suddenly…

"Found one!"

Neku looked for the source of the voice and found a girl approaching him. And he wouldn't forget her any time soon. She was quite possibly the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She was about his age and seemed to take good care of herself. She had long, red hair under a large, floppy hat. She wore a small shirt that left her stomach exposed, a yellow vest with a hood, green shorts, a fanny pack, and long, brown boots.

"You!" the girl shouted at Neku. "Forge a pact with me!"

"Uhh…," Neku said, intelligently. "Kinda got my hands full here."

"Listen! If we make a pact we can beat the Noise!"

"Who cares about a little noise?"

"You wanna be erased?" the girl snapped. "Hurry up! There's no time. Make a pact with me, please!"

Neku pondered on the girl's words. Seeing as she was his only way out of this, he nodded. Strange, blue lights floated around the two. The girl tossed a small object to Neku. It was another pin. This one had an orange flame design on it.

"I'll explain later," she said. "Right now, we have to beat the Noise!"

 _This girl is hot, but crazy_ , Neku thought _. I wonder if I can use this pin like the skull one._

Neku flicked the pin in the air and caught it. At his feet a small column of fire had ignited. It seemed to follow the motion of his hand. One of the Noise-frogs leaped into the air, claws out. Neku raised his hand and the flame rose, consuming the beast. Afterward, the body of the Noise lay motionless on the ground. Then, the body transformed into TV static and disappeared.

"That easy, huh?" he wondered out loud. "Something tells me this is the only easy part."

Once all the Noise were dealt with, Neku looked down at the fiery pin.

"Whoa! So you can use that pin!"

The girl returned from her side of the battle and smiled at him. Neku pulled up his turtle-neck to cover his warming face.

"You must be good at psychs," she went on. "I guess I found the right partner, huh?"

"Is that what they're called? A psych?"

"Uh-huh. And now that we've made a pact, the Noise won't come after us!'

Neku sighed in relief. "In other words, we're safe."

He sat down on a park bench and looked at the girl.

"So…what are the Noise, exactly?" he asked.

The girl looked at him like he was stupid. "Uh, the monsters we just fought. Duh."

 _Monsters, riiiiight_ , Neku thought.

"Anyway, where are my manners? My name's Shiki Misaki. Just call me Shiki."

"I call this wack," Neku said.

Shiki laughed. "We've got a long week ahead of us, huh?"

"A week?" Neku asked. "A week of what?"

"The Reapers' Game is seven days long."

 _Reapers? Excuse me?_ Neku thought. _Who_ is _this girl?_

"So what's your name?" Shiki questioned.

Neku ignored her and continued his thinking. _Where am I? How did I get here?_

"C'mon, tell me your name." Shiki's voice was just an echo now.

 _The signs say "Shibuya Station." Why am I in Shibuya?_

"Something wrong?" Shiki's whisper ringed.

 _Wait. That intersection. I just need to retrace my steps._

Without another word, Neku walked back to where he woke. As he made his way back down the alley, Neku noticed the girl was right behind him.

"Why are you following me?" he asked.

"Why are you making yourself so hard to follow?" Shiki countered.

"I go where I want."

"Go where? We're trapped in here!"

"What? Don't be stupid."

Shiki gave him that dumb look again. "You're the one being stupid. We forged a pact. We're supposed to stick together. You can't beat the Noise alone. You can't survive."

"Survive WHAT?" Neku snapped.

"The Game. Don't you want to win?"

"Play games on your own time."

Shiki scowled at him. "That's not funny! They'll erase us is we don't win! You saw what happened to those people! You wanna join them? Besides we're partners. Partners work together."

"Don't make me a part of this!"

"You already are. You're a Player, just like me."

"I'm not 'playing' anything."

"Oh, yeah? Then why do you have a Player Pin?"

Neku pulled the skull pin. "You mean this one?'

"And," Shiki continued, "you have a timer on your hand, right? I do…"

Neku glanced at his right hand. According to the "timer" there was 20 minutes left. Shiki gasped and shouted:

"We don't' have time for this! The clocks ticking. Let's hurry to 104."

"'Ten-Four?" Neku asked, confusingly. "What's that?"

"You got the mail, right? It said to reach 104. It's a big mall."

"That junk mail…" Neku remembered the short orders given to him. _What kind of nut would believe that?_ he thought. _Then again, this day has been pretty weird. And she's gonna follow me anyway. Might as well see this through, just to appease her_.

"All right, you win," he said. "Lead the way."

"Good!" Shiki replied. "Now, for the last time, tell me your name."

Neku sighed. "It's Neku. Neku Sakuraba."

"Neku, huh?" Shiki giggled. "Cute name."

"Shut up," he muttered, pulling, frustratingly at a lock of his hair.

"All right then, Neku. Let's get over to 104!"


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter** **2: One of Many**

With Shiki leading the way, Neku walked, quietly, toward the large skyscraper with the billboards. The evil message still haunted him. When they were about fifty feet from the entrance, Shiki stopped in her tracks.

"What's wrong?" Neku asked.

"We can't go any further," she said. "And from here, this is the only way to 104."

She pulled open her phone and looked at it, intensely. Neku reached his hand forward, to find an invisible wall blocking the way. Suddenly, Neku felt eyes burning into the back of his neck. He whipped around and saw a tall figure in a red hoodie standing behind him, the hood covering his face. The figure then, mouthed the words: "Pact confirmed."

A slight buzzing sound rattled through the air. Shiki gasped in surprise and shouted, "Neku! It's open!"

"What?"

"The wall's gone."

Neku was startled at this. "What's up with that?"

Shiki shrugged her shoulders. "No idea. Lucky break, I guess."

Shiki dashed ahead to 104. Neku stopped to think. Something about that guy in red concerned him. Did he make the wall vanish? Neku looked back to see that the man had left. Another weird thing to add to the list. Neku turned and resumed walking to the building at his own pace.

Shiki was waiting for him at the entrance. She was sitting on the curb, once again staring at her phone. Neku wondered what could be so interesting at a time like this. When she noticed him, Shiki put the phone away, immediately.

"Yay! We made it!" she exclaimed. She held up her hand to show that the timer had disappeared. "Mission complete."

"Hoo-ray…," Neku mocked.

A high pitched voice screamed at them. "Big deal! Only an idiot would screw up on Day 1!"

The two jumped in alert. Neku heard the voice come from somewhere up above. He scanned the rooftops for any signs of a threat. Then a huge Noise-symbol approached them. The voice boomed from it. Somehow, Neku sensed the voice was not its own.

"You two are gonna get erased sooner or later," the voice screeched. "So do a girl a favor and earn me a few extra point, k?"

Shiki reached into her fanny pack and bought out a pin. It had a design of a black stuffed animal. A pig, Neku thought.

"I'll do the fighting this time Neku," Shiki said.

Neku raised an eyebrow at her. "Why?"

"'Cuz, you still need to rest from your last fight. And, plus, you already use the Flame Pin. Pins take a while to recharge after use."

"Fine. You're just used to getting your way aren't you?"

"Yep."

Shiki tapped the pin and threw it at the Noise. The pin transformed, mid-flight, into a short, black creature. It was around three feet tall and seemed eager to fight. It was dark colored with pointy ears, a long tail, and white eyes and paws.

"Go, Mr. Mew!" Shiki instructed the animal. The creature jumped into action, clawing at the Noise-symbol. But the attacks went straight through it. Finally, the symbol morphed into a large bear-like Noise. It had blue fur with orange stripes. Its arms were warped and sharpened.

Shiki gave more orders to the animal called Mr. Mew. He gave a couple of quick jabs and scratches, barely doing any damage. The Noise knocked him to the ground, turning him

back into a pin. Shiki grabbed the pin, leaving herself exposed. The Noise closed in for the kill.

"Shiki!" Neku shouted. "Look out!"

She looked up and screamed in fear. Neku ran up and shoved her out of the way. _Sure hope this works_ , he thought. Neku jumped and kicked the Noise in the nose. Then, while in the air, he grasped the Flame Pin and reached out his hands. Luckily, an intense blast of flames shot from his palms, engulfing the monster, entirely. When the fire cleared there was nothing left of the Noise. Neku felt drained and weak, but he had done it. Shiki walked up to him, and held him up for support.

"T-thanks Neku…," she said. "How did you know the pin recharged?"

"I didn't," Neku puffed. "That was pure luck."

"Oh. But you heard that voice. Day 1 is nothing. What if the missions only get harder? We've got six more days… Are we gonna make it?" Tears welled up in her eyes. "I-I don't want to be erased…"

She looked at her phone again. Thoughts rushed Neku's mind _. I can't believe this. What the heck kind of game is this? This can't be right._ Neku's thoughts started flying out as

screams.

"I'm really stuck here? In Shibuya?!"

Neku shut his eyes and grabbed his head as he panicked.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Wider Arsenal**

When Neku opened his eyes, the surroundings had completely changed. Instead of the intersection, he and Shiki were in what looked like an abandoned tunnel. A long paved road stretched into darkness on his left. On his right, the mouth of the tunnel let in sunlight from outside. Shiki was still looking at her phone.

"I hope this works out," she said, half-knowingly.

"Hey!" Neku shouted.

"Aah! Don't scare me like that!"

 _Oh, grow up_ , Neku thought. His anti-social self was starting to return to him.

"Where are we?" he demanded.

"I think we're in the underpass by the station. I can hear the trains passing. How'd we get here, I wonder…."

Suddenly, both their phones beeped with a message. Shiki read it and jumped into alert.

"The mission!" she exclaimed. She read the mission out loud. " _Set the cursed sculpture free. You have sixty minutes. Fail, and face erasure. –The Reapers_."

The sharp sing burned into their hands. Neku couldn't help glancing at the dark numbers ticking down.

"What's this timer for, anyway?" he asked.

"You really don't know?" she responded. "If we don't clear the mission before the timer hits zero, we're automatically erased!"

Neku thought to himself, _sounds crazy to me. But…..maybe not too crazy. I saw those people get erased by the Noise. And had a conversation with a Reaper. Heh, can't believe I'm even entertaining that thought. But I know what I heard….Wait._

"Why'd the date change on my phone?" he wondered.

"A day must've gone by," Shiki said, calmly.

"WHAT!?" Neku shouted.

"I think we fell asleep after yesterday's mission. But that's OK, cuz' now we can focus on today."

Neku's eyes widened at her. _What is_ wrong _with her? Has she lost her MIND?!_ "It's anything but OK. We were in the middle of a square, in broad daylight! Why would we just fall asleep?"

"Stop shouting," Shiki changed the subject. "So this 'cursed sculpture'- it's gotta be talking about Hachiko."

Neku was still on his topic. "We might've passed out. But woke up here? Everything in between is fuzzy…."

"But what's the curse?"

"Somebody could've dragged us here. Or-"

"C'mon Neku. Pay attention!" Shiki yelled.

Neku decided not to say anything.

"Hey! What, now you're ignoring me? If we don't work together, we'll fail the mission!"

Neku still didn't respond. Shiki sighed in aggravation. "What am I doing wrong?"

Neither of them spoke for a few seconds. Shiki was staring at her phone again. Neku listened to the faint sounds of the song "Calling" flowing through his headphones. Twenty seconds passed… Thirty…

Shiki was the one who broke the silence. "Alllll right, then. No point in just standing here. Let's go find Hachiko."

Shiki started walking towards the opening in the tunnel. Reluctantly, Neku followed. He increased the volume on his mp3 until he drowned the trains out. He couldn't help nodding his head to the rhythm of his music. He didn't know why, but the music seemed to help relieve his stress.

A wall broke his moment of bliss. Neku walked straight into an invisible obstacle, striking him in the nose. He fell to the ground, knocking off his headphones. The pain passed, quickly.

Shiki was standing over him in concern. She grabbed his headphones and handed them to him. Neku put them back on and turned the volume down.

"Great," Neku sighed. "Now we're trapped in here."

"No…," Shiki complained. "Now, we can't complete the mission."

All she ever does is whine, Neku growled to himself.

"This is the way to Hachiko," Shiki continued.

"Then we have to get through. We got past yesterday. Isn't there some kind of rule?"

"I dunno. What are we going to do?"

Neku thought silently for a moment. Shiki must've thought he was ignoring her, because she frowned angrily.

"Don't just stand there!" she shouted. "Start thinking of something!"

"I AM thinking," Neku snapped. "If just for one minute, you'd stop your-"

His voice trailed off as he caught a familiar glimpse of red. Leaning on a construction pillar was the man in the red hoodie from the previous day.

"Neku, what're you looking at?" Shiki asked, annoyed. She turned to see the man in red.

"I'm going to try to read his mind," Neku said.

Without waiting for Shiki's input, Neku fished the Player Pin from his pocket and tapped it. His senses sharpened as they had the day before. Neku looked at the man, but for some reason, he couldn't hear the man's thoughts. Neku explained this to Shiki. She was shocked to hear that he couldn't "scan" the man.

"I had no problem scanning people yesterday," Neku said. "Maybe he's special."

Without warning, the man in red approached them. Even with the hoodie on, Neku could see that the man was sickly pale and very skinny.

"You," the man said, "scan and erase all the Noise in this area."

"I don't see any Noise," Shiki replied.

The man flashed an evil grin. "The world is more than just

what you see."

Without another word, the man vanished into thin air. An uneasy feeling washed over Neku.

"Don't know what his deal is, but he's involved with the Game, that's for sure," he said.

"Yeah, he's creepy," Shiki shuddered.

Neku looked down at the Player Pin. Scan the Noise…

"There aren't any Noise here!" Shiki whined.

"I think we have to use the black pins," Neku assumed.

"You think? OK, let's try it. But first…"

Neku lowered his hand. "What is it?"

"Shouldn't you try some other pins? You've got more, right?"

This was news to Neku. He felt around and found a black case in his back pocket. It was the size of a wallet and when Neku opened it, he found six pins all together. Designs included a hand, lightning bolts, a tornado, a blue sphere, the Flame Pin and…

"Hey, you have a second Player Pin," Shiki pointed out. "Wonder why they gave you two…

"I don't know," Neku responded.

Neku placed the case on the ground and tapped his Player Pin. As the red-clad man had said, Noise symbols floated around the tunnel. So, the two took turns eliminating the Noise. Neku soon memorized what each of his pins did. He made a mental list just in case, matching the designs with the corresponding abilities.

1\. Flame-pillar of fire

2\. Hand-psychokinesis

3\. Sphere-small bullets of energy

4\. Tornado-increased speed and hand-to-hand skills

5\. Lightning-electric touch

The only pin Shiki seemed to be able to use was her Mr. Mew Pin. Once all the Noise were defeated, the man in red returned.

"Objective completed," he said. Then, he vanished again, along with the invisible wall.

"So that's the trick to getting past the walls," Shiki stated.

"He's one of them," Neku said.

"One, what?"

"A Reaper."

Shiki must have not noticed. "I guess he does know too much…Anyway you did great!"

Neku raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You were able to use all the pins," Shiki grinned. "You must be some kind of psych genius! But remember, two is better than one!"

Neku didn't know what to say. He just did what Shiki told him to do. He certainly didn't think he was a genius. He was uncomfortable with her praise. He kept the pins in his pocket.

"Stop ignoring me!" Shiki shouted. "I'm just complimenting you!"

"I'm listening," Neku said.

"Well, how am I supposed to tell when you just stand there?" Shiki crossed her arms. "You should take off those headphones. It's rude."

As soon as she said it, Shiki knew she had hit a nerve. Neku turned around, fists clenched.

"Would you shut up?" he snapped. "I just met you. I don't like you. And I couldn't care less if you think I'm rude!"

"You don't have to yell," Shiki whimpered. She looked at her phone again. "What am I going to do?"

 _Oh, great_ , Neku thought _. I'm outta here_. Neku stormed out of the underpass. Shiki realized he was leaving and gave chase.

"Hey!"

. . . . . . . . . . .

"Where can you possibly go? I'm your partner!"

Shiki's never ending voice rumbled in Neku's ears. He reached down to turn his music back up when sunlight flooded his eyes. He had finally made out of the underpass. He found himself on a hillside street that was made into a train station. On the left was a line of street vendors and posters.

Before he could take another step, a force as strong as a bulldozer shoved Neku to the ground. A clamp-like hand pressed his face on the pavement while an elbow stabbed his back.

"Gotchu punks now!" a loud voice boomed over Neku. Shiki ran over and pushed the attacker off of him.

The boy was no older than Neku and extremely fit. He wore a white tank-top, beige shorts, black and red tennis shoes, a black chain necklace with a skull, and a black knit beanie with a skull stitched into it that hung over his eyes.

"You got us good yesterday," the stranger said, "but today I'ma crush you, yo!"

Shiki stood between Neku and the boy. She lifted her hands trying to calm him.

"You've got the wrong guy!" she exclaimed. "You know this guy, Neku?"

"Don't insult me," Neku answered.

The attacker posed for another strike. "Need a hint? Go ask your friends."

" 'Friends'? What're you talking about?" Neku wondered.

"Shut up, yo!" the boy shouted. "You ain't foolin' me! I can't scan you. You gotta be widdem! You can't outsmart me, yo!"

"Stop it, Beat!" a girl's voice yelled.

Behind the boy called Beat, a young girl stood. She was about twelve years old and had short, blonde hair. She wore an orange sweater with a heart-shaped skull on it, beige shorts, and a black ski cap like Beat's, but hers had a pin with a human skull design.

"They're not Reapers!" the girl said. "I sense Player Pins on them."

"What?" Beat asked.

"Players can't scan each other. Remember? You couldn't scan me either," the girl stated.

Beat stood, frozen. "Oh."

He soon apologized for his recklessness. Beat explained that a pink-haired Reaper had attacked him and the girl on the previous day. And from the sound of Beat's voice, Neku guessed they got beat pretty bad. Neku strolled over to a nearby bench and sat.

"Hold up," Beat said. "We should do intros. I'm Beat. And this," he patted the small girl on the shoulder, but oddly showing signs of sadness, "is my partner, Rhyme."

"Hello!" Rhyme said, cheerfully.

"I'm Shiki. And that," Shiki gestured over to the bench, "is Neku. He's my partner." She said partner as if it were coated in vinegar. Neku sat quietly.

Beat crossed his arms. "Wha's with the headphones? He still mad?"

Shiki sighed. "No, he's just being… Neku. Don't feel bad."

Beat still didn't look satisfied. He stepped in front of Neku and looked him over. Neku shot him a look that said, _however bad you think you are, I'm worse._ Beat backed off and brightened up at Shiki.

"Hey, I got an idea!" he said. "Lemme make it up to you. You figure out how to use your phones yet?"

Shiki pulled out her phone, curiously. "Well, we can't make or get calls…texting doesn't work. All we've done is check the mission mail. Why, do they do anything else?"

Rhyme showed Shiki her phone. "We played around a bit. We found that…"

"Y'mean you ain't figured out anything?" Beat interrupted. "You two gonna get owned down the road, yo. You use it to select your pins!"

"How?" Shiki asked.

"Collect some and the phone will set your choices as the ones in your pocket."

Neku decided to join the conversation. "Who's this pink-haired girl you were talking about?"

Rhyme shuddered. The experience must have been brutal for her. She had trouble getting the words out. "She attacked us in the Scramble Crossing. Those black wings… She's prob'ly a Reaper."

"Yeah," Beat muttered. "We couldn't scan her."

 _So scanning doesn't work on Reapers or other Players_ , Neku thought. _This bulldozer of a guy is loud but smart. I still don't want him on my team. He seems pretty unstable._

"So," Shiki said, "the Reapers pass out missions and if they aren't completed, we're erased."

Rhyme tilted her head in confusion. "Maybe not. Beat and I never made it to 104. But here we are."

Excitement formed in Beat's eyes. "So we don't gotta play? Sweet!"

"We should still play, Beat," Rhyme put. "I don't want to find out what happens if the timer hits zero. Do you?"

"Mine and Neku's timers vanished after we got to 104," Shiki recalled.

Rhyme's eyes lit up. Her eyes seemed to shift colors so Neku couldn't tell if they were blue or green or black. "Do you think you and Neku finishing the mission might've gotten Beat and I off the hook? So as long as the mission is completed-"

"-all living Players stay alive!" Shiki finished.

Neku scowled at the friendliness between them. These two could be what they seem. But they could also be Reapers in disguise. Neku knew not to trust strangers. Somehow…

"Yo, we should all work together!" Beat suggested.

Rhyme smiled at this. "They say two heads are better than one. So four has to be better than two."

Shiki smiled like this was the greatest idea ever. "I'm so in! It'll be more fun that way. Riiight, Neku?"

Neku growled. "You can do whatever you want. I work alone."

"Neku! You know that's not true!"

"I don't need a bunch of strangers bringing me down. Plus, I can't scan you. You could be Players, or you could be Reapers. I have no way of knowing."

"Yo, Phones!" Beat shouted. "What the heck's your problem? We just lookin' out for you and you treat us like this?"

Rhyme pouted, sadly. "Don't get mad, Beat. I see where Neku's coming from. I shouldn't have opened my big mouth."

Rage filled Beat. He grabbed Neku by the collar and lifted him into the air. "You piece a' DIRT! Y'know what? We don't want your help!" Beat shoved Neku down, hard, on the bench. "Le's bounce, Rhyme."

Beat put his hand on Rhyme's shoulder and guided her away into the distance. Shiki shouted, desperately, trying to apologize for Neku. But it was too late. They were gone. Shiki turned to Neku, shaking out of anger.

"Nice going, Neku!" she shouted. "We should all stick together and you know it!"

"Then why don't you go with them?" he snapped back.

"Listen to yourself! We're partners, Neku. But I don't understand you at all! Let me in! Tell me what you're thinking. Just talk to me!"

Neku stood still. "And say what? I'm not opening up to anyone. Ever. Other people just hold me back. I can do things my own way."

And with that, Neku stomped up the hill. Shiki looked at the picture on her phone and said a silent prayer. _Tell me what I'm supposed to do…Please._ She quickly caught up and the two, silently, trekked towards the top.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Statue's Curse**

Once they reached the top of the hill, Neku noticed that another wall blocked their way. Standing nearby, as usual, was another figure in a red hoodie. He quickly walked toward Neku, his hands in his pockets.

"Release the statue from its curse," the man said.

Neku glared at the man. "I know what you are."

"I don't get paid for small talk. Play the Game."

The man returned to his original position. Neku and Shiki took in their surroundings to try to find out what he meant. There was nothing but a few street vendors, the rails for the trains, and an odd little stump monument. It was circular shaped with an aged face carved into it, making it look like a huge head.

"Hey, Stalker," Neku said. "What's that round rock?"

"My name is Shiki!" she exclaimed. "Can you say 'Shiki'? And that's a moyai."

"A moai? Like on Easter Island? What's a moai doing here?"

Shiki wagged her finger. "No, a moyai, with a y. They're the small guardians of Shibuya. The guard told us to release the statue's curse. What could the curse be? Maybe the Noise?"

Neku pointed his Player Pin at the moyai and pressed it with his thumb. Sure enough, three dog-like Noise symbols emerged. They materialized into long wolves with deformed legs and tails. Neku raised a hand to beckon Shiki backward. He pulled out the Lightning Pin.

"Stand back," he ordered. "I wanna try something."  
Shiki nodded, reluctantly. Neku flicked the pin into the air and caught it in his palm. He felt his fingers tingle with electricity. Neku then lifted his hands and shot three large bolts of lightning. All three Noise were incinerated where they stood. The red-clad man returned, raised his hand, and the wall vanished with a loud hum. He then faded into a blob of black aura. Shiki immediately smiled.

"So the moyai was possessed by the Noise," she explained. "And you erased them. Does that mean we completed the mission?"

Neku showed Shiki his right hand. The timer was still counting down. "No. Clocks still ticking."

"Oh."

It was a nice thought. The mission would've been over and done with. But Neku had an idea what their real target.

"Let's go find this 'Hachiko'," he said.

Shiki looked at him, curiously. "Neku… You talk like you've never heard of it."

Neku shook his head. "Nope. What's Hachiko, anyway?"

"WHAT!?" she shouted. "How can you live in this country and not know Hachiko? Remember where we met yesterday?"

"Yeah…," Neku said.

"There's a statue of a dog in the plaza. That's Hachiko. Now I have a question. How'd you figure out how to get past the wall?"

Neku crossed his arms and didn't respond.

"Not again," Shiki groaned. "All right, fine! Be that way! Let's just head for Hachiko."

. . . . . .

The large man watched as the two Players reached the top of the hill. The well-dressed female grabbed his attention. Something about her could be very valuable to him. He tried to move out from his hiding place, which was difficult because of his massive build. As silently as he could, the man paced behind the Players.

. . . . . .

Shiki dashed ahead and waited. Neku found her leaning on some kind of public art. It was a simple stone dog sitting on a two-foot-tall pedestal. Shiki seemed disappointed over something.

"I already scanned Hachiko," she said. "There are no Noise around him."

Neku pondered over these circumstances. _Could we have the wrong statue? Crap! We don't have time to find another one… What's the deal?_

"EARTH TO NEKU!" Shiki yelled.

"What?"

Shiki petted Hachiko like he was alive. "Something's wrong with him. I'm not sure what. But it looks different from when I saw it at Hachi Fest."

Something sparked inside Neku's mind. That festival seemed to remind him of his past. But the memory faded before Neku could place it. So he asked Shiki.

"What's that?"

Shiki scrolled to some pictured on her phone. They were all of her and some other girls posing in front of Hachiko. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. One girl in particular kept

popping up. She had short black hair and sparkly white teeth. She wore a green jacket pulled over a white sundress, white sneakers, and round owl-like glasses. This girl held Mr. Mew in her arms in all the photos, probably because Shiki was taking them by hand. She was cute in a "nerdy" kind of way.

"It's this festival where you touch Hachiko for good luck. If you touch the right spot, in the right way, your wishes come true!"

Neku thought he'd remember something like that. "That's… charming."

"They hold it every year," Shiki continued. "The place changes every time. But if you get it wrong…"

"You explode?"

"You get cursed!"

"Sounds pretty extreme."

Shiki looked sadly down at the statue. "Hachiko looks pretty dirty. We should clean him."  
Neku stared at her bizarrely.

"And I see this weird mark on him," Shiki went on. "Maybe it's some kind of hex!"

"Or someone went crazy with a magic marker," Neku said.

Without waiting, Shiki dashed toward a nearby restaurant. She came back with some wet wipes and towels. She tossed the towels to Neku and started wiping off the grime from Hachiko. Neku looked over both his shoulders.

"Aren't you gonna, y'know, cause a scene?" he asked.

"So what?"

Neku shrugged and joined Shiki. The more mess that came off, the more color was revealed. Instead of normal stone gray, the statue was purely silver with dark blue rings around the dog's shoulder blades. Once Hachiko started to get clean, Neku kept hearing a strange growling sound.

"You say something, Neku?" Shiki asked.

"Nope," he replied.

The sound appeared again.

"Stop growling and polish!" Shiki snapped.

"I'm not growling…"

Suddenly, Hachiko's eyes began to glow. Without warning, the statue leaped off the pedestal. It growled and snapped at Neku and Shiki.

"Back up, Shiki!" Neku warned. "It's a Noise!"

It was one of the wolf-Noise that possessed the moyai. It jumped and spiraled at Neku. Shiki ran up and shoved the wolf sideways. While it was stunned, Neku activated his Psychokinesis Pin, picked up a mailbox, and smashed the Noise.

"Good job, Neku!" Shiki cheered.

Neku checked and saw that the timer had disappeared. Shiki was celebrating as loud as she could. Neku wondered if they would get arrested for disrupting the peace, but the pedestrians paid them no mind. Shiki place her hands on her hips and smiled cutely at Neku.

"Hey," she said.

"Yeah?"

"You said before that you don't need any friends."

"Your point is?" Neku wondered, sensing some sassiness coming.

And Shiki confirmed his suspicions. "Well, you couldn't have solved Hachiko's riddle without me."

"What? Get real. I don't need you to solve one lousy riddle."

"Riiight. Well, if you ask me-"

Shiki was cut off by an ear-splitting screech.

"This is sooo infuriating!" the voice screamed. "You two again!?"

Neku remembered that voice. It was the voice he heard yesterday. The voice of a Reaper. A tall woman floated down from a rooftop. She had big, bright blue eyes and pink dyed hair. She wore a black blouse that left her belly revealed, long black gloves that reached her elbows, black shorts, and white boots. She might've been pretty, but Neku found the woman absolutely terrifying. For on her back were wings. Black, dreadful wings that resembled the distorted parts of Noise.

"You know," the woman said, "you owe me a bowl of ramen. For not getting erased like you were supposed to."

"This girl is a Reaper?" Neku wondered.

"Does this prove it?"

The woman lifted her hand. Suddenly, red bolts of electricity focused in her palm. The bolts transformed into a large Noise-symbol, which became a small, porcupine-like monster. The creature's spines were red and black striped.

"She can make Noise!?" Shiki exclaimed.

"Doesn't matter. I'm not scared of a little hedgehog."

As if it understood him, the Noise screeched. Its spines expanded and became sharp. Neku backed up, but tripped and fell. The spines crossed at his wrists and ankles, trapping him. One last spine was quickly descending towards Neku's head. Neku struggled to get free, but the spines cut him whenever he tried to move. Neku closed his eyes and waited for erasure. He was interrupted by the sound of metal scraping metal. Neku looked to find Mr. Mew holding the spine in place. Shiki was above Neku trying to free him. Mr. Mew staggered and the sidewalk cracked. The animal wouldn't be able to hold out for long…

"Mr. Mew!" Shiki shouted. "Go to clone mode!"

Mr. Mew nodded. Before Neku's eyes the animal split into about ten copies of itself. One still held the spine back while the other went to work on the restraints. Three claws shot out of each of their limbs. They each were striking at one of the quills holding Neku down.

While this was happening, Shiki pulled out a new pin. It was green with a picture of a soda can. She laid it on Neku's chest. Suddenly, a dim, green light surrounded his body. His cuts healed and his fatigue left immediately. Shiki picked the pin back up and continued ordering the Mr. Mews.

As soon as the last quill was broke, Neku sprang to his feet, Tornado Pin in hand. He grabbed one of the shards of the quills, wielding it like a sword. He ran up to the Noise and slashed. The Noise slowly split into two and vanished. The Reaper lady laughed, amusingly.

"Wow," she said. "You're, like, stronger than I thought. But don't think I'm done playing with you."

She summoned more Noise symbols, each larger than the first. Neku stepped back. He figured he wouldn't be able to hold out for long. He couldn't waste time on the small-fry. He had to go for _her._ Luckily, the Tornado Pin's power was still surging through him. Neku sprinted toward the Reaper, dodging the Noise the best he could. The lady sighed and flashed a pistol. She shot the three Noise and Neku, sending him sprawling back toward Shiki.

Neku felt burning pain flowing through his ribs. He forced himself to look down at his wound, to find there was no wound. Instead, a black bruise had formed on his stomach.

Shiki brought out her Healing Pin again. When she used it the pain passed but the bruise still throbbed. Neku stood.

"Boooring," the Reaper whined. "Don't get my hopes up like that, Killjoy. Now that I'm in the mood… maybe I should just erase you now."

Neku stepped in front of Shiki to protect her.

"But I can't do that."

"Huh?" Neku said.

A smile formed on the woman's face. "I know! Let's try this. A special challenge just for you! If you manage to win, I'll let you out of the Reapers' Game!"

Neku couldn't believe what he was hearing. A chance to get out of this nightmare. A way out.

"You… you will?" he asked.

"You betcha! Sweet deal, right? So, like, what do you say?"

"An actual ticket out…"

Shiki took his hand. "Neku! Don't listen to her!"

"You back there! Be quiet!" the Reaper snapped. She brought out the pistol and shot Shiki.

Neku stood still. He didn't even notice Shiki getting shot. The Reaper flew over to him. She looked him over and smiled.

"Are you in or out?" she asked.

Neku lowered his head and muttered, "I'm in."

"Atta boy! Oh, and one more thing. If you fail, I erase you…"

"What?!"

"Thankfully the rules are simple. You have one minute…," she raised a clawed finger at Shiki's weak body, "…to erase that girl."

"WHAT?!"

"Yup. Poof. Kaput. Easy, right? Just pretend you're erasing Noise. All right. Ready? Start!"

Darn, Neku thought. She's asking me to kill someone. There's no way I can do that. But if I don't…

"Neku…" Shiki muttered, terrified.

"Thirty seconds!" the Reaper exclaimed. "Still on the fence? Then let me give you an incentive. That girl? She's been spying for us."

Neku felt like he'd been shot again. Shiki a spy? That couldn't be true. But she had seemed to be kind of secretive. And she was always fiddling with that phone of hers. What if she really was a spy? Rage built up inside Neku.

"Hey!" Shiki growled at the woman. "What are you saying?!"

The Reaper snickered. "Thanks for checking in so often. We couldn't have done it without you."

"Shut up! Don't lie! Neku, she's making all of this-"

"Your phone," Neku interrupted. "Why did you keep playing on your phone?"

Shiki hesitated. "Oh… I was… just…"

"Just SPYING!" the Reaper giggled. "She's not very good at covering it up."

"I didn't spy! I swear!"

"G'bye. And thanks for playing." She turned to Neku. "And remember just to do what comes naturally. Save yourself. Screw everybody else, right?"

Shiki was shaking in fear. Neku could hear the desperation in her voice. "Neku… Please don't kill me."

Neku raised his eyes. "I have to."

Neku gripped his Psychokinesis Pin. He lifted his hand and used his powers to grab Shiki's neck. He lifted her up into the air. Shiki was struggling, choking, trying to get free. But there was no escape. Neku closed his eyes and slowly began to close his fist…

"Whoa-ho-ho. Whaddya doin'?"

The voice surprised Neku, and he dropped Shiki. He quickly ran and caught her before she hit the ground. He looked up to see the source of the voice. A man, probably in his late thirties, stood between the Players and the Reaper woman. He wore a black shirt with the white sleeves rolled up, black pants, black sandals, and dark glasses. His jet-black hair was recently combed back and his scruffy beard had been trimmed. The man had a New Orleans feel to him. He had wings as well, but they were white and feathered like an angel. With a flick of the man's wrist, the wings disappeared into a white pin he held.

"Ah-ah-ah, sister," the man said, wagging his finger like he would at a child. "You gotta play by the rules. Makin' 'erase your partner' the mission is a clear violation."

The Reaper shot at the man four times. Neku saw a blur as the man raised his hand, fist clenched. The man uncurled his fingers to show he had caught the bullets between them. He then flicked one of the bullets back at the Reaper at break-neck speed. A small, red scratch appeared across the Reaper's cheek.

"One mission per day," the man went on. "That's the rule. And only the Game Master can issue missions."

"I know that!" the woman growled. "But I'm not the G.M. Which means this wasn't a mission, which MEANS I didn't break any rules!"

"Then start walkin', sister, before I tell The Producer. Your job's done."

"Fiiine."

Neku roared at the Reaper. "You tricked me! All that about letting me out of the Game-that was all a lie!"

The Reaper rolled her eyes. "Like, that is so rude. I do not lie. If I erased you, that's still letting you out of the Game! Time to call it a day."

She blew a kiss at Neku and flew straight up into the sky.

Once the Reaper was gone, the stranger walked over to the Players. He lifted Shiki in his arms and motioned for Neku to follow him. He led Neku to a small café in the back of a nearby alley. He eased Shiki into a chair and pulled out a blank pin. He placed the pin on Shiki's heart and her eyes flew open. The man walked behind the counter and started fixing a pot of coffee.

Shiki was still too weak to stand. She seemed barely able to sit up in her chair. Neku scooted his seat next to her and helped her balance. It was the least he could do considering he had almost killed her. He still couldn't believe he had been tricked into thinking there was an actual way out of this twisted Game. He made a silent vow to never trust a Reaper's word again.

The man returned with two paper cups of coffee. Neku didn't drink. He hated coffee, tremendously. Shiki, on the other hand, thanked the man and took gentle sips.

"I'm sure you have plenty of questions," the man said. "I'll answer them one at a time. Ladies' first."

"What is your name?" Shiki asked.

"Hanekoma. Sanae Hanekoma. I'm a Guardian, one of the peace-keepers of the Reapers' Game. We're responsible for watching the Game, to make sure shady types don't start bendin' the rules."

"That Reaper tricked us," Neku explained.

Sanae scowled. "You mean she tricked YOU."

Neku cursed himself again.

"You ignored the young lady," Sanae went on, "fell into a trap and very nearly snuffed her out for good. If you think you can do everything yourself, you're in for some hard lessons. Now, apologize to the young lady."

"'Scuse me?!" Neku squawked.

"Hard feelings don't make up for good teamwork. You wanna survive? Do it!"

Shiki turned and looked at Neku with her pretty, brown eyes. Neku felt his face warm and his heart do a gymnastics routine. Finally, he muttered, "…Sorry."

Shiki smiled. "Forget it. I'm over it. I mean she made you do it, right?" She started to blush. "I should've defended myself better. So let's just put this behind us."

"Good!" Sanae said. "Now listen, you two. There's only one way to survive in this Shibuya: trust your partner. I'm talkin' to you, Phones."

"'Phones?'"

"You do know what that is, right? Partnership is essential to surviving the Game. Alone you face limitations. But, partner up, and you can smash right through 'em. Same goes for when you fight the Noise. You might think you're alone, but you're not. Your partner's right there beside you, sharing your energy. You gotta sync up and send that energy back and forth. But you won't sync up unless you OPEN up! Talk to her! Tell her your feelings. Lay it on her. That's the fastest way to get something across."

"He's right, Neku!" Shiki jumped in. "Look, I know I hold you back. I'm not good at psychs, but still. I want to win the Game and I want us to do it together! So tell me what you're feeling! I just want to understand you!"

Neku lowered his eyes.

"Neku?"

Neku couldn't help it. Something about this encounter suddenly made his secret just blurt out.

"I want to understand me too, Shiki," he said. "But I don't."

"What…"

He met Shiki's eyes. "I can't remember anything but my own name. I woke up in that 'Scramble Crossing' with no clue how I got there, no clue why I'm part of this stupid Game!" Neku pounded his fists on the table, grateful that there was no one else in the café. "I don't know anything, because I can't remember… anything."


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Answers**

Sanae's eyes became slits. He obviously felt bad for Neku. He then got up from the table and went inside a door behind the counter. Neku thought Sanae must have been tight with the owner to be able to just wander around. The guy seemed pretty likeable. Something about him made Neku feel more at home, here, in this café. Neku wondered if he came here a lot before all this madness.

When Sanae returned, he carried two backpacks and laid them on the table. He then slid two white pins across to the Players.

"Ok, Phones," he said. "In honor of your growth as a human being, and a friendship saved from the rocks, I'm gonna give you some advice and a gift. Make sure you remember it all."

"All right," Neku said. "But first, could YOU try to remember my name? It's Neku. Not Phones."

Sanae's widened his eyes as if just realizing his mistake. "Oh, right! Sorry, Neku. My bad. I got it now."

 _I wonder_ , Neku thought.

"Ok! Let's continue our Q and A. You got questions, I got answers."

Shiki started. "How do we win the Reapers' Game?"

"To win, you must complete seven missions, one for each day of the week. Today's the second day. Monday is it not?"

Neku asked, "Is it true that if we don't complete the missions, we'll be automatically erased?"

Sanae folded his hands and rested his chin on them. "Well, only if you _all_ fail, to be precise. You two aren't the only Players. If any pair of Players completes the mission, you all do. But don't think that you don't have to play. If you think like that and ignore the missions-"

"-then we all wind up erased," Neku finished.

Sanae nodded. "Furthermore, the Reapers grade the Players. Naturally, you get points for completing missions. I can't tell you exactly what the grades are for. On the seventh day, Saturday, you'll know."

Neku decided to take a drink of his coffee. Oddly enough, it didn't taste like coffee at all. It tasted like a regular soda he would get from a machine.

"Who are the Reapers, exactly?" he asked.

Sanae snorted like it was obvious. "They're demons. They try and test Players. See any guys in red threads lately? They're Reapers too."

"Really?" Shiki wondered. "But they didn't attack us…"

"Not all Reapers are cut from the same cloth. There are the Harriers and the Support. Wall Reapers are Support. All they do is issue conditions to pass the wall. The Harriers, on the other hand, hunt Players for a living. And it's not just their job either. If they don't dispatch Noise, erase Players, and score their own points… THEY get erased."

"So we're they're lunch," Neku guessed.

"Everybody's gotta eat kiddo."

Neku grimaced at the thought of the pink-haired lady eating a sandwich with his head sticking out the end.

Shiki asked the next question. "If it's ok Mr. H, I'd like to know some things about you."

Sanae thought for a moment, and then sighed. "I guess I could tell you a little. Sanae Hanekoma, born March third, blood type A. I'm a Pisces and one hip café barista, mista."

"I don't think she meant your personal ad," Neku said.

"I'm a big gambler," Sanae went on. "My favorite word: 'windfall.'"

"Like I said-"

"As for my childhood-"

"Stop. Please."

Shiki stepped in again. "So you run this café? I thought you were a Guardian."

"The café's more of a hobby. Totally hip, right? The WildKat…" Sanae waved his hands as if the name was in lights.

"Last question," Shiki said. "This… is Shibuya, right?"

Sanae grinned. "You bet. But not _your_ Shibuya. It's an alternate Shibuya created specifically for the Game. We call it the UG, as in Underground. The UG is one big chessboard for the Reapers. The Shibuya you came from is called the RG, or Realground."

"So, we're in another world?"

"Well, yes and no. The RG and UG exist in the same space. What you see around you is the RG- the real deal. The UG is run by The Composer."

The name rang over the room.

"Who's that?" Shiki asked.

"Shibuya's supervisor. I can't say more on that subject. It's classified, you dig? Now for that gift I promised."

Sanae gestured to the white pins he had put on the table. "These special pins take two people to use. It only works when you two are in complete sync. Now listen," Sanae's voice got quiet, "the people around you are in the RG. They can't see you, and they certainly won't help you, except for special occasions. Otherwise, your partner's the only one who can keep you alive."

Neku glanced at Shiki. "So we're basically invisible?"

Sanae nodded. "Only those involved in the Game can see you. Remember, all the Players come to the UG for a common reason. But the Players must forfeit the one thing they value most as an entry fee."

"Do we get it back?" Shiki asked.

"Only if you win."

"And if we don't?"

"You lose your entry fee forever. And, well, your right to exist. I hate to have to cut off like this, but it's time for my shift. G'night."

Then, darkness washed over Neku, and sleep took him.

. . . . . . . . . .

Neku awoke in pitch darkness. He pulled out his phone to use for a small amount of light. He found one of the backpacks Sanae had left for him lying close by. He quickly took inventory. He found some small rations and two flasks of Sanae's special coffee. Neku also found a flashlight which he replaced his phone with. He took in his surroundings.

Neku thought, why is it so dark here? He moved his light upward and saw a roof with a catwalk. Shiki was nowhere to be seen. Neku decided to wander around. He started to walk when he heard footsteps from behind. And a high voice said, "So dark… Where am I?"

Neku flashed his light I the direction of the voice. "Show yourself!" he shouted.

To his surprise, a large set of brown eyes were staring at him, shocked. "Neku! You scared the crap out of me!"

Neku growled. "I scared YOU? Where the heck have you been?"

Shiki shifted the backpack Sanae had given her. "I was looking for a way out."

Neku massaged his shoulders. Sleeping on the ground was no joke. "We should be more careful."

"Why? I've already found the exit."

Neku raised an eyebrow. "Then why didn't you lea-"

Shiki smiled, cutely. "I'm not going anywhere without you. I'm not that useless, am I?"

Before Neku could answer, their phones beeped. The sound surprised Shiki so much she dropped her phone. Neku knelt down to pick it up. It had been flipped open on impact. On the screen was a self-picture of Shiki and another girl. The other girl was the same as the one in Shiki's pictures of Hachiko. She had short, black hair and round glasses. She wore a green jacket over a white sundress. She was cute in a nerdy sort of way.

"Nice photo," Neku said.

Shiki frowned. "That's my friend. She was in my class."

Neku came to a conclusion. "So all those times-"

"Yeah. I was looking at this."

"And you yell at me for keeping secrets," Neku snorted. "It's just a photo. You don't have to-"

"Look, Neku! The mission mail!" Shiki exclaimed, cutting Neku off. " _Defeat the master of A-East. You have three hundred and sixty minutes. Fail, and face erasure. –The Reapers_ ," she read aloud.

As soon as Shiki finished, the burning pain in Neku's right hand returned. He looked down to see the timer had seared itself on his palm. Neku paused to think about the mission. What was A-East? He asked Shiki about the location.

"It's a concert space. I've been here a bunch of times," she said.

Neku nodded. "You seem to know Shibuya pretty well."

"Of course! I hang out here all the time. Now c'mon, Neku. I'll lead you to the exit."

Shiki grabbed Neku's hand and led him with their dim light. Neku felt embarrassed. He thought he must look like a child being led by hand. Soon Shiki stopped at a set of large double doors. She shoved them open and sunlight immediately illuminated the room.

The outside of the building seemed to be a downhill street. To the left, a shopping mall could be seen in the distance. On the right, a line of restaurants stood, one was particularly empty. Directly in front of the building, a small set of stairs led down to the street. Shiki looked back at the building and gasped.

"What is it?" Neku asked.

Shiki blushed and giggled nervously. "I am sooo sorry, but we were just there."

"You mean we were in A-East the whole time?" Neku growled.

Shiki wagged her finger at him. "We're ahead of schedule. No griping."

"Hey!" a rough voice shouted.

Neku looked over to see a tall man waving at them. He wore a long, black coat that had bones along the arms. His dark, green pants had chains hanging from the sides. The skull-designed collar he wore shined brightly. The thing that stuck out most about the man was his hair. His blonde hair was spiked up with tons of hair gel. It looked like yellow pillars of stone.

"Think you could help a guy out?" the man asked. His voice was scratchy. Neku assumed he'd been yelling for some reason.

Shiki was first to answer. "Sure, if we can be of any help."

Neku grabbed Shiki's arm to stop her. "We don't anything about this guy. Be careful."

Shiki winked at him. "Let's just hear him out. Sometimes all people need is a good listener. If we can't help, I promise I'll say no."

Neku nodded, hesitantly. He released Shiki's arm and followed her over to the man.

The man showed a yellow smile. "Much obliged. My band's supposed to play here in a few hours, but the technician's been gone all day. Could you go find him for me?"

"What does he look like?" Shiki asked.

"He's in a black tee. He's got a lanyard 'round his neck. Without him, we're hosed."

Neku crossed his arms. "Why can't you go find him?"

"Because I have a concert. The name's 777 (Triple Seven)."

Shiki stared at the man. She seemed deep in thought. Then her eyes widened in shock.

"No way!" she exclaimed. "Like 777, Def Märch vocalist and rising superstar 777!?"

Before he could answer, 777 broke down in a fit of harsh coughs and wheezes. Shiki patted his back. When the coughing passed, 777 looked even paler than before.

"I'm aight now. I had to shout a lot during lead-in so my throats a little sore. It's hard to get anything done with a tech."

"So you could rehearse if we found your man?" Neku asked.

"Of course," 777 grunted. "Otherwise, we'll have to shut down the show."

Shiki looked over at Neku and stared intently. It was very hard, but Neku shook his head. Shiki got the message.

"We'd like to help you," Shiki said, "but… We really don't have the time right now."

777 took it remarkably well. He nodded and said, "I gotcha. Just if you see him, tell him to book it to A-East."

777 shook both their hands and walked over to some other pedestrians. Shiki sighed.

"I wish we could have lent a hand," she groaned.

Neku put his hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, but we have more important things to deal with right now. Let's go."

. . . . . . . . . .

Neku and Shiki left 777 to his business. They wandered the street trying to find a way to restore the lighting. Shiki gave Neku a layout of the area they were in. They currently stood in a district called Dogenzaka. She led him to an intersection that held a series of pawn shops. As they browsed through one store called Cosmic Corner, Neku noticed a shop keeper greeting them as they walked in. He questioned Shiki about this.

"Did you forget, Neku? This must be one of those 'special occasions' Mr. H was talking about. Look." Shiki pointed to a symbol in the window. The symbol resembled a red skull and crossbones. "Inside places with that decal we become visible so we can do some shopping."

The shop keeper had the whole eighties thing going on. He wore a leather jacket and bell-bottoms and was rocking a colorful afro.

"Look around if you want, but I ain't sellin'."

Neku raised an eyebrow. "Why do you have a SHOP, then?"

"The stuff in the case? It's special to me. So, like, if you want if you want it, tough."

Neku growled at the man's annoyance. Shiki placed her hands on Neku's shoulders and guided him out of the store.

Further down the street, Neku smelled something delicious. He found it coming from a nearby ramen shop called Ramen Don. Inside he saw a young man matching 777's description. He sat at the bar, having a conversation with the bartender. The rest of the shop was empty. Neku and Shiki walked in and took seats a few spots away from the technician. They each ordered a bowl of ramen. The bartender took their order and continued his conversation with the tech.

"Man, forget the concert," the tech was saying. "Can't they hire another man to do the job?"

Shiki elbowed Neku in the side. He looked over and Shiki gestured to the bar. She had written a message on a napkin. It read: _Looks like we found our guy._

Neku picked up the pen Shiki had lied there and wrote another message. _Guess he's on strike. He picked the right place to hide in._

"I'm tellin' ya," the tech continued, "I've got stage presence I'm not the behind-the-scenes type of guy, y'know?"

"Well," the bartender replied, "just remember, son. The future is a clean slate and you're the chalk!" The technician walked out before the bartender finished making his order. Neku and Shiki slipped out as well.

The tech slumped down on the ground beside the door to the noodle bar.

"I wish I could just curl up and forget all of this," he mumbled to himself."

Shiki pursed her lips. "He'll never come back with us now."

Neku shoved his hands into his pockets. He felt the assortment of pins and their different textures. Somehow, he could tell which pin he would pull out without looking. The right pin seemed to just slide into his hand whenever he needed it. He pulled the Player Pin out and suddenly it started vibrating. Neku felt the mind-reading power sharpening his mind.

When Neku looked at the tech, he seemed to illuminate with an orange light. What caught Neku's eye were a dozen frog-Noise symbols floating around the tech's body.

"I got it!" Neku said.

He pulled out the Tornado Pin. He ran up and sliced the puny monsters in half. Shiki stood in awe of Neku's speed. The Mr. Mew pin was still in her hand.

The tech immediately came to attention once the Noise were erased. He took one good look at his watch and dashed off back in the direction of A-East. Neku and Shiki immediately gave chase.

The Player's found the tech apologizing to 777. 777 did not look happy to find his crew member late.

"The heck you been?!" he was shouting. "Go get us ready for rehearsal!"

"I've got a repairman working on it," the tech said. "That's why I went out: to get the part he needed."

"The question remains: DID YOU GET IT?"

The tech immediately started to sweat. "Um, define 'got'…"

"You nimrod! Go get it now!"

Without another word, the tech ran in the opposite direction of Dogenzaka. Neku and Shiki followed him into a large parking lot. In the center of the lot was a familiar flash of white. Beat was skateboarding around in circles. Rhyme sat cross-legged on the pavement, fiddling with her phone. When Beat saw Neku approaching, he scowled right away.

"Talk about crap for luck, yo," he spat. "Here come's Phones."

Rhyme sighed and smiled at Shiki. "Gathered any intel for the mission?"

"No, not at all," Shiki said.

"Beat and I heard that we haft to use memes."

"What's a meme?"

Rhyme turned to Beat and looked at him with her big eyes.

"Shiki looks like she needs help. Can we help her?" she pleaded.

Beat looked at Shiki. Shiki joined Rhyme in using the puppy-dog eyes. Beat blushed and shrugged. "Well… aight. But only 'cause it's Shiki. I ain't doin' this fo' you, Phones!"

Neku took this as a challenge. "So RHYME, what's a meme?"

Rhyme raised her phone to show Neku. "It's an app on our phones. They're words or ideas we can use to put into people's minds. It's called Imprinting."

Rhyme typed in the words 'ice cream,' pointed her phone at Beat and pressed the send button. A small beam of light struck Beat in the forehead. Beat hopped on his skateboard and rolled to a nearby ice cream stand. He soon came back with a strawberry ice cream cone and handed it to Rhyme.

"Thank you, Beat," Rhyme giggled.

"Riiight…," Neku said, skeptical.

"Now when you Imprint…"

"Yo, Rhyme, forget it," Beat snapped. "Phones obviously don't trust us."

Rhyme sighed. "Don't be like that, Beat. A problem shared is a problem halved, right? If we don't help each other out, we'll all… we might…" tears started to form in Rhyme's eyes. Beat wrapped an arm around her and guided her away, all while giving Neku a dirty look.

Shiki frowned. She leaned on Neku for support. Her hair smelled like cherry blossoms.

"Beat is still mad," she said, quietly. "I hope we can patch things up soon."

Neku spontaneously, pointed out the tech leaning on a lamppost, out of nervousness.

"Just like I thought," he croaked. "He forgot."

"Oh, Neku! Let's try Imprinting on him!"

Shiki flipped her phone open, typed in the words 'machine part' and pressed send. The tech's eyes widened and he dashed back towards Dogenzaka. Before he got away, Neku pulled out his phone and sent one last meme.

"What was that, Neku?"

Neku grinned, slightly. "Let's just say I just scored him a few extra points with 777. C'mon, let's go to A-East and wait."


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: A Light in the Dark**

About another hour passed before the technician returned to A-East. He was panting liked he'd been running for the whole duration of that time. 777's face was twisted with anger.

"Didn't you tell him the name of the store?" Neku asked.

Shiki just shrugged. 777 stomped his foot and pointed at the tech.

"Quit playin' around!" he shouted, hoarsely. "It's almost show time!"

"I-I know!" the tech coughed. "But f-first…"

The tech dug something from his pocket. They were a few circular objects wrapped in red and white paper. 777 grabbed them, held them up to his nose and sniffed.

"Cough drops?"

The tech smiled at 777. "I've really been looking forward to the concert. Good luck in there!"

777 fell silent. He gestured with his head for the tech to leave. Before he got very far, 777 caught the tech by the arm. A big grin spread across the singer's face.

"Let's make rock history, man," he said.

The tech nodded, excitedly. He then ran off inside the

blackened stadium. Shiki elbowed Neku in the ribs.

"Aw that was sweet, Neku," she teased.

777 walked over to where they stood. He punched Neku in the arm, playfully.

"Thanks for everything." He held out a new pin. This one had a black and white star pattern on it. He handed it to Shiki. "For you. It's Def Märch band swag. One day it'll be worth millions so don't lose it. I'd better see you at the concert. Later!"

As 777 walked away, he flicked one of the cough drops into the air and caught it between his teeth. Shiki caressed the pin in her hands, delicately, like it was made of glass. Neku looked at it, closely.

"I bet we could get some serious coin for that thing," he said.

Shiki slapped him across the face. "Forget it, Neku! Let's hurry and finish the mission. There's only twenty minutes left!"

Neku paced behind as Shiki dashed into A-East. Inside, the lights were still out. They could hear voices arguing over which switch to throw. Finally, the lights flickered to life. But as they did, Neku hated the Reapers' Game even more than before.

Hanging from the catwalk was an enormous bat-like Noise. It was about fifteen feet long from nose to tail. Its fur was the color of solid gold. The wings were red and dark purple and looked like they could shred steel. And knowing Noise, they probably could. Shiki stood statue still, eyes wide, mouth gaping open.

"Oh. My. God," she whimpered.

The monster let out a spine-tingling screech that shattered the glass windows of the stadium. It leaped into the open air, every wing-flap causing a huge gust of wind. Shiki had already called out her stuffed animal. It jumped and landed on the Noise's back. Neku rolled to the side as the claws swooped down in his direction. But the creature was too quick to avoid. It grabbed Neku around the waist and dragged him into the air.

Neku began to panic. One after another, he would use his pins. But each barely seemed to phase the beast. Soon, Neku only had the Psychokinesis Pin left. Neku took a glance at the monster's head. Mr. Mew was clawing away at the eyes and face, hardly doing any damage at all. _Thanks a lot_ , _Little Dude._

"Hey, Ugly!" Shiki shouted.

The Noise stopped immediately. Its eyes blared red. It picked up speed and charged straight for Shiki and let out another scream. Shiki then threw a small object at the creature. The projectile went directly into the Noise-bat's throat. It let out a few harsh coughs and then faded into static.

Neku fell and hit the ground with a hard thud. Shiki ran to him and lifted his head. She seemed concerned about his ears because she kept saying his name and would touch them, carefully. When she pulled her hands away, they had blood on them.

Neku coughed, sat up, and said, "What was that you threw?"

Shiki huffed. "777's pin. Count yourself grateful. The ultimate piece of Def Märch fan collectibles. Now it's gone forever."

"Yeah, thanks. I'm okay in case you're wondering."

"C'mon. You know I'm kidding."

Neku looked at his hand and his eyes widened. He raised it to show Shiki and she gasped. The timer was still there, with only twenty seconds left.

"Wasn't that the master?!" Shiki exclaimed.

Before Neku could answer, the sound of skateboard wheels rolling echoed through the stadium. Followed by the most annoying voice known to man.

"Don't drop the ball now, yo!"

Beat and Rhyme dropped to the floor right in front of where Neku kneeled. A small golden bat fell after them and turned into static. Beat smiled, smugly.

"Looks like we made it," he said.

Rhyme held up her hand. "Yup! The timer's gone. Mission complete."

Shiki raised an eyebrow. "But… I'm sooo confused…"

All of a sudden, people in the RG began to fill in through the doors of A-East. As the four of them made their way outside, Rhyme explained what Beat and she had experienced. When Shiki choked the Noise to death, it transformed into a smaller bat and hid on the catwalk, where Beat took it out by running it over with his skateboard.

"Man, you shoulda got mo' info, yo," Beat smacked. "I'm talkin' to you, Phones!"

Rhyme and Shiki looked at each other and giggled together. Beat looked at both of them.

"Stop trying to act tough, Beat," Rhyme laughed. "You wouldn't have found the little bat if it wasn't for them. Know why?"

Neku began to catch on. "Cause we had to kill the big bat first."

Beat recoiled like he'd been punched. "Yeah… w-well… You act like you got all the answers now, but you was freakin' out before!"

Rhyme doubled over from laughing so hard. "So were you, Beat!"

"Whose side you on, yo?! Least I got the job done, aight?"

The girls continued to giggle. Even Neku let out a small, quiet laugh. Beat's face reddened with anger. He grabbed Neku by the collar and scowled.

"I heard that, yo!" he snapped. "Who said YOU could laugh at me?"

Loud music suddenly filled the air. Bright lights flashed from inside A-East. Shiki's eyes perked up as if she'd just thought of something.  
"Heeey, wait a minute…," she started.

"'Sup now?" Beat asked.

"How come we were able to talk to him? Y'know, 777."

Neku put his hands in his pockets. "Because he's a Reaper," he said, matter-of-factly.

"WHAT?!"

"Mr. H explained all this. Only Reapers and other Players can see us and I didn't see a timer on him."

Rhyme sighed. The color of her eyes was dark gray as they usually were when she was upset. Neku took a moment to realize how hard all this must be on her. She was so young and now she has to go through this horrible Game. Neku couldn't put himself in Rhyme's shoes if he wanted to.

"Hey," he said to her. Neku flashed a thumbs-up and smiled. "Don't worry. We'll make it no matter what."

Rhyme smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Neku."

Beat crossed his arms and snorted. "Think you can deliver, Phones?"

Neku raised his fist and faked a punch. Beat recoiled and fell on his backside. Neku, Shiki, and Rhyme began to laugh again. Beat growled, but it soon became a laugh as well.

"We really do make a good team," Shiki chirped. "Starting tomorrow, what do you say we work together?"

"I'm in!" Rhyme volunteered, right away. "And what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger."

Beat flexed his neck. "If Rhyme's down widdit, then so am I."

Shiki turned to Neku and stared at him with her sparkling, brown eyes. "No objections, Neku?" Shiki wondered.

He sighed. Then Neku grunted, "Just don't drag me down."

Shiki jumped in delight. "Yay! Here's to teamwork!"

. . . . . .

Megumi Kitaniji swirled his favorite wine in his glass. He rested on the red, velvet couch he had custom made. His personal assistant, Ms. Mitsuki Konishi, was reading off the day's statistics. Megumi could barely make out the dread on her face through his sunglasses, which he always wore, day or night.

"Today," his assistant was saying, "a total of six Players were successfully erased, sir."

"Six?" Megumi said with a voice of iron.

"That puts us at the fifty percent erased mark, one full day ahead of schedule."

Megumi nodded and laughed. "Higashizawa's doing nicely, then?"

Ms. Konishi bowed her head. "Yes, sir. That concludes today's report. We'll have our regular meeting tomorrow, same time as always, sir."

"Right. Good work." Megumi let out another laugh.

"Is something the matter, sir?" Mitsuki asked.

"No, no… It's just that I feel that tomorrow's Game will be very interesting."

"Yes indeed, sir."

Mitsuki bowed and walked out quietly. Megumi placed his red headphones on his head and let his Mozart carry him to sleep.


End file.
